Romanian President happy with performance of ruling coalition

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said on Thursday, February 17, that he was pleased with the way the Government was functioning.

"I am just happy with the way the Government is operating. In the coalition, of course, there is still a great need for harmonization between positions and a lot of contacts in order to find common ground," Iohannis said, according to B1tv.ro.

The Romanian Government is backed by an unexpected coalition formed last autumn when the Social Democrats turned into the senior ruling party, taking the place of the President's Liberal Party, apparently with the contribution of President Iohannis himself.

In the context of Social Democrat leader Marcel Ciolacu expressing expectations for the current coalition to keep functioning in the same format [with Social Democrats as a leading partner] after the 2024 elections, President Iohannis said that "no one can say" what will happen after the next general elections.

"I believe that this governing coalition will function until 2024, and I still believe that it has a future after 2024 with the same structure. You can't do things in just three years. Romania must return to political stability," PSD president Marcel Ciolacu told Reuters.

However, the Liberal leader, Florin Citu (PNL), had a different approach. "Only with PNL number one! We will have elections in 2024, we want to win. PNL must become the largest party in Romania. It's a compromise [what is happening now]," he stated.

(Photo source: Presidency.ro)